Sun Safety

Children’s sun protection behaviours, sunburn, and sunbed use

maresa.fagan@publichealth.ie — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 11:53:44 +0000

Children’s sun protection behaviours, sunburn, and sunbed use maresa.fagan@p… Thu, 08/06/2023 - 12:53

Children’s sun protection behaviours, sunburn, and sunbed use

Children and Young People

Sun Safety

8 Jun, 2023

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Presentation on children’s sun protection behaviours, sunburn, and sunbed use to Subgroup for Adolescents

On 8 June, the policy team at the Institute of Public Health (IPH) presented data on children’s sun protection behaviours, sunburn, and sunbed use to the newly configured Subgroup for Adolescents and Young People (13-24 years), developed under the recently launched Skin Cancer Prevention Plan, the second plan published under Healthy Ireland.

Data was developed by the HBSC team at University of Galway and IPH worked to bring the evidence to policy implementation and review.

The second wave of data will be made available later in 2023 and will be presented directly to the policy and programme leads operating the new Plan.

Blog: Sun hats, sunglasses and sunscreen: covering up for cancer prevention

maresa.fagan@publichealth.ie — Thu, 04 May 2023 11:22:53 +0000

Blog: Sun hats, sunglasses and sunscreen: covering up for cancer prevention maresa.fagan@p… Thu, 04/05/2023 - 12:22

Blog: Sun hats, sunglasses and sunscreen: covering up for cancer prevention

Children and Young People

Sun Safety

22 Jun, 2020

In this blog, Lauren Rodriguez, Public Health Development Officer with the Institute of Public Health, discusses some of the findings from a new report on children’s sun safety behaviours in Ireland.

Skin Cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in Ireland, making it a major public health concern. Nationally, over 11,000 non-melanoma cancers and 1,100 invasive melanomas are diagnosed per year and these figures are set to double by 2045, according to the National Cancer Registry Ireland.

In Ireland, approximately 1 in 5 males and 1 in 9 females will be diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer in their lifetime.

However, some skin cancers are largely preventable. Overwhelming evidence suggests that it is especially important to look after skin in childhood and prevent sunburn. Three or four episodes of severe sunburn before the age of 20 is associated with a two to four times higher risk of developing melanoma later in life.

There are things we can do to prevent the risk of developing cancer, like avoiding excessive ultraviolet (UV) exposure and sunbed use, but there are also other factors we have no control over like skin type and family history. Establishing healthy sun/UV habits and attitudes in childhood is key to avoiding a potential skin cancer diagnosis later in life.

Skin Cancer and gender differences

Men in Ireland experience higher rates of melanoma diagnosis and death. Melanoma incidence rates among men have grown significantly between 2011 and 2015, and are 125% higher than they were in the mid-1990s (females are 54% higher). Deaths among men due to melanoma are also increasing.

Why is the report being published now?

In May 2019, the Government released the National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan 2019-2022 which identified children and young people as a priority group for action. The plan called for the development of a comprehensive profile of schoolchildren’s risk and protection behaviours relating to UV exposure to inform the implementation of the plan. This provided the impetus for the creation of the report, Children’s exposure to ultraviolet radiation – a risk profile for future skin cancers in Ireland.

The report presents for the first time data on UV protection and risk behaviours, which are self-reported directly by schoolchildren. The data analysed is from a range of sources, but is presented principally from the Health Behaviours in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study 2018 which was collected by researchers at NUIG Ireland in collaboration with the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.

Sunburn & Sun Protection Behaviours

9 out of 10 schoolchildren aged 10 to 17 years reported at least one experience of sunburn in their lifetime.
Around 3 in 4 children reported sunburn within the last year.
8 out of 10 children reported wearing sunscreen and 7 out of 10 reported using sunglasses on sunny days.
Girls were more likely to wear sunscreen, sunglasses, clothes that cover arms and legs as well as avoid peak UV hours.
Boys were more likely to report wearing hats.

Sunbed Use

Sunbeds pose an additional risk because sunbeds emit UV-A radiation which penetrates the skin more deeply than other UV rays. Providing a sunbed service to anyone under the age of 18 is a breach of the legislation by the sunbed industry under the Public Health (Sunbeds) Act 2014.

3% of 10 to 17-year olds reported using a sunbed in the last 12 months.
It is not clear whether this represents use in commercial or domestic environments.

More research is required to understand the children’s skin cancer knowledge, tanning attitudes as well as commercial activities of the sunbed industry to make an impact and reverse this concerning statistic.

Policy Response

An increase in knowledge and awareness of UV harms for children is a key lever for the success of Ireland’s Skin Cancer Prevention Plan 2019-2022. There is evidence to support investment in public health messaging campaigns especially those aimed at children and their parents.
Australia has implemented one of the most sustained and comprehensive suites of programmes for skin cancer prevention since 1988. This includes an outright ban on sunbeds (2014). These measures have also included the availability of more effective sunscreens, the inclusion of sun protection items as a tax-deductible expense for outdoor workers, the increased availability of long-sleeved sun protective swimwear and a comprehensive programme of grants for community shade.
The measures in Australia have started to deliver returns. Several studies have shown the cost–benefit of skin cancer prevention with returns on investments estimates of more than $3 (AUD) gained for each dollar invested.
Climate research predicts hotter summers and more heatwaves for Ireland. Sunburn and UV related cancers are recognised public health impacts of heatwaves. A health in all policies approach is necessary to address heatwaves during summer months in Ireland which represents a pattern of elevated risk for young people in the future.
Melanin does confer some protection against the risk of UV related skin cancers. However, everyone, of any complexion, is at risk of developing skin cancer and looking after children’s skin in critical. This report will bring us one step closer to developing effective public health messaging related to the prevention of future skin cancers.
Additional research and data are required to better understand the patterns underlying UV-related risk and protective behaviours. Monitoring is also needed to understand how young children, especially infants and their parents approach sun protection.

Tips to reduce your risk of skin cancer:

Slip on clothing: Cover skin as much as possible, wear long sleeves, collared t-shirts made from close-woven material that does not allow sunlight through.
Slop on broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen.
Slap on a wide brimmed hat: Protect your face, ears, and neck.
Slide on sunglasses with UV protection: Guard your eyes from harm.
Shade: Use a sunshade on your buggy or pram, sit in cover of trees to avoid direct sunlight.
Know the UV index.
Never use a sunbed.
Do not deliberately try to get a suntan and avoid getting a sunburn.

Resources

Click here to read the full report

2018 Health Behaviours in School-Aged Children Study

National Cancer Control Programme

Blog: Becoming SunSmart - Reflections on skin cancer prevention in Ireland

maresa.fagan@publichealth.ie — Wed, 03 May 2023 13:27:46 +0000

Blog: Becoming SunSmart - Reflections on skin cancer prevention in Ireland maresa.fagan@p… Wed, 03/05/2023 - 14:27

Blog: Becoming SunSmart - Reflections on skin cancer prevention in Ireland

19 Jul, 2022

In this blog, Lauren Rodriguez, IPH Public Health Development Officer, reflects on the policy impact from a report IPH published in 2020 in partnership with NUI Galway.

This report, Children’s exposure to ultraviolet radiation – a risk profile for future skin cancers in Ireland, presented the first nationally representative data on sun protection behaviours, sunbed use, and sunburn among children aged 11 to 17 in Ireland [1].

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in Ireland. Estimates from the National Cancer Registry suggest that almost 13,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year. This number is projected to double by 2045.

With summer in full swing and Met Eireann issuing a heat weather warning, it is timely to reflect on the Institute’s work and contribution to government policy to reduce the risk of skin cancers.

Ireland’s first Skin Cancer Prevention Plan was published in 2019, as part of a suite of policies under the Healthy Ireland Framework. A ‘health in all policies’ approach to tackling skin cancer is included in the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 and this was further detailed within the 2019 National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan, the first action plan to specifically focus on skin cancer.

Understanding risk exposures in childhood

Within the National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan, IPH was named as a delivery body and tasked with an action to develop a profile of children’s sun safety behaviours, their use of sunbeds and their experience of sunburn. This led IPH to work closely with researchers at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) to configure questions for inclusion in the 2018 Health Behaviour and School-Age Children Survey – the questions were carefully piloted and revised before fieldwork began[2].

In June 2020, IPH and NUIG published the joint report, Children’s exposure to ultraviolet radiation – a risk profile for future skin cancers in Ireland. The report provided the first ever nationally representative data on school children and young people’s sun protection behaviours. It also provided baseline data to support monitoring of the government’s National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan 2019-2022. Since then, the report is one of the most downloaded publications on the IPH website with over 2,500 downloads.

Evidence for implementation

Implementation of the National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan is led by the HSE National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP), with an implementation subgroup focused specifically on children and young people. IPH contributes directly to this subgroup which also features input from national advocacy and charity organisations as well as public health professionals around the country. This allows the Institute to support the translation of research findings[3] into decisions on investment, like national campaigns, as well as discussions on legislative and policy changes.

The purpose of the subgroup is to contribute to the implementation of Action Area 3 of the National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan.

Some of the highlights of the group’s ongoing work include:

Engaging and directly consulting children and young people on SunSmart education materials and awareness campaigns
Developing an annual Healthy Ireland SunSmart awareness campaign aimed at parents, children and young people
Developing a pilot of SunSmart games and sunhats for Let’s Go Summer Camps, Dublin Northeast Inner City camps, as well as Sport Ireland camps
Developing a SunSmart policy on outdoor play for early learning centres
Developing an FAQ document developed for Public Health Nurses on sun protection for babies and children
Identifying opportunities to include messages about skin cancer prevention for babies, children, and young people in communications with parents. This included a sunhat for newborns in a ‘Little Baby Bundle’ pilot programme and an update to the My Child public health network manual
Developing and piloting SunSmart primary school lesson plans – junior and senior – and increasing awareness of UV risk and protection among young children attending Early Learning Centre settings
Launching the ‘Get SunSmart! Children’s Art Competition’ to encourage creativity and learn how to enjoy the sun safely among primary school children
Disseminating and promoting resources to support the curriculum in relation to skin protection for use in primary and post primary schools, including through the official Scoilnet portal.

The current national skin cancer prevention plan concludes this year. While work is underway to develop an updated plan for 2023, it is important to reflect on all that has been achieved to date, especially in relation to children and young people who are vulnerable to the environmental, social, and commercial determinants of skin cancer.

Further information and support

SunSmart resources for parents, children and schools can be found at www.hse.ie/SunSmart

A Health Warning on sunbed use can be found at https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/5/cancer/prevention/nccp-sunbeds-dl-p5-.pdf

References

[1] The author would like to thank colleagues at IPH and the HSE National Cancer Control Programme for their contributions to this blog including, Maria McEnery, Skin Cancer Prevention Plan lead & Cancer Prevention Officer and Aine Lyng, Cancer Prevention Officer.

[2] Költő, A., Harrington, A., Kavanagh, A., Tyrrell, L., and Nic Gabhainn, S. (2018). New Questions for the Health Behaviour in school-aged Children (HBSC) Study in Ireland: Pilot 2018. Galway: National University of Ireland, Galway

[3] Költő A, Rodriguez L, McAvoy H, Nic Gabhainn S. (2021). Sunburn, Sun Safety and Indoor Tanning Among Schoolchildren in Ireland. International Journal of Public Health.

Children’s exposure to ultraviolet radiation – a risk profile for future skin cancers in Ireland

webadmin — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 10:48:57 +0000

Children’s exposure to ultraviolet radiation – a risk profile for future skin cancers in Ireland webadmin Mon, 13/02/2023 - 10:48

Children’s exposure to ultraviolet radiation – a risk profile for future skin cancers in Ireland

Cancer

Children and Young People

Sun Safety

16 Jun, 2020

Downloads

Children’s exposure to ultraviolet radiation – a risk profile for future skin cancers in Ireland

In Ireland, approximately 1 in 5 males and 1 in 9 females will be diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer in their lifetime. However, some skin cancers are largely preventable. Overwhelming evidence suggests that it is especially important to look after skin in childhood and prevent sunburn. Three or four episodes of severe sunburn before the age of 20 is associated with a two to four times higher risk of developing melanoma later in life.

Sunburn, Sun Safety and Indoor Tanning Among Schoolchildren in Ireland

webadmin — Sun, 12 Feb 2023 12:42:53 +0000

Sunburn, Sun Safety and Indoor Tanning Among Schoolchildren in Ireland webadmin Sun, 12/02/2023 - 12:42

Sunburn, Sun Safety and Indoor Tanning Among Schoolchildren in Ireland

Cancer

Children and Young People

Sun Safety

20 May, 2021

Downloads

Sunburn, Sun Safety and Indoor Tanning Among Schoolchildren in Ireland

Link

https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/ijph.2021.1604045/full

Excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, sunburn and indoor tanning bed use in childhood are well established risk factors for developing skin cancer later in life. Many skin cancers are preventable through a combination of sun safety behaviors including wearing sunscreen, avoiding peak UV hours of the day, wearing protective clothing which cover arms and legs, and wearing a hat. Evidence suggests that employing a combination of these behaviors during the critical period of childhood and adolescence can reduce the risk of subsequent skin cancer diagnosis later in life.

Easy Read: Children’s sun safety – and their risk of future skin cancers

webadmin — Sun, 12 Feb 2023 12:20:57 +0000

Easy Read: Children’s sun safety – and their risk of future skin cancers webadmin Sun, 12/02/2023 - 12:20

Easy Read: Children’s sun safety – and their risk of future skin cancers

Cancer

Sun Safety

1 Feb, 2022

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EASY READ: Children’s sun safety – and their risk of future skin cancers

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Ireland. Children who get sunburnt or who have too much exposure to the sun are at higher risk of developing skin cancer as adults.

This summary presents the key points of a report that looked at risk factors for children aged 10 to 17 in Ireland for the first time. The report was developed by the Institute of Public Health, with the National University of Ireland Galway, for the National Cancer Control Programme. The findings support the Government’s work under the National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan 2019-2022.